A sweeping success

August 24, 2010

What a day it was in West Point Saturday with over 200 dedicated volunteers working together to make the city look its best in the First Annual Big Tidy Up.
City and County leaders teamed up with the Clean Up committee of the West Point/ Clay County Growth Alliance to lead the clean up efforts.
Several families worked together to get Catherine Bryan Preschool in tip-top shape and everyone, including the kids, enjoyed it, said Community Director for the Growth Alliance Martha Allen.
â€śThe kids has a blast,â€ť Allen said. â€śBrooke Ketcham (a volunteer) expressed job in being invited to participate, as it was such a good lesson to teach their children.â€ť
Not only were school and other buildings cleaned, but litter was removed from alleys and highways, scrap metal was collected from all over the city, bridges and light poles were repainted, and trash was removed from residences and businesses.
Even though it was a scorcher on Saturday, it didnâ€™t stop the people of West Point who want to keep their city beautiful from coming out, said Mayor Scott Ross.
â€śI was overwhelmed with the level of support,â€ť Ross said. â€śYou could tell how committed folks were, and Iâ€™m very grateful for the organizations and individuals who came out to help.â€ť
Ross said having an attractive city will not only bring in new businesses to the area, but help local residents realize the importance of a clean environment.
â€śIt gives the community itself a greater sense of pride in where we live,â€ť Ross said. â€śIt makes a tremendous impression on our visitors. You never know what that impression will do for those who may be considering living here or those wanting to work here.â€ť
Allen noted everyone who did their part Saturday and they are as followed:
-The Will Ketcham family, the Marc Facella family and the Bryan Harrell family cleaned Catherine Bryan Preschool.
-Calhoun Street to Brame Avenue was cleaned by Anne Frye.
- Ross led the National Guard from the Brame fire station to the highway, picking up litter.
-Fifteen employees of Matt Boys cleaned the area around Mt. Hermon Church.
-Community Counseling Services gave Broad Street a new look.
-West Point home-schoolers cleaned the gazebo by Lake Louis, where they found type-writers and railroad ties and were able to revive the flower beds.
-West Point Garden Club worked in and around Murff Row and Alley behind Anthonyâ€™s Good Food Market.
-The ladies of Delta Sigma Theta and the men of Omega Phi Psi worked behind Marshall Park and Fifth Street School.
-Tiger Cubs Pack 118 weeded flower beds and collected recyclables.
-Boy Scouts Troop 15 worked behind a dozen downtown buildings, cleaning the parking lots, removing litter and grass.
-The West Point Rotary Club made a major impact along the parkway and Brame Avenue.
-Junior Auxiliary cleaned the Kid Town Park area.
-Old Waverly Golf Club worked from their main gate to the West Point High School and Churchill Rd.
-North Mississippi Medical Center, the Wellness Center and Tom Storeyâ€™s new youth program, Project for Change, worked to clean and prepare the walking track at the hospital.
- Babcock and Wilcox showed dedication to the community on Thursday with their own clean up.
-The fire department worked on Friday to clean the engraved bricks under the gazebo located behind the post office.
-Bob Lummus and Golden Triangle Tree Maintenance limbed-up trees along the parkway.
-Trash was collected behind Sunny Side Antiques.
-Several members of the Main Street Program and the cityâ€™s Planning Commission provided their services.
-Bob Tyler Enterprises provided their services.
-David Duke Pecans employees helped Johnny Wray haul items from the home of the elderly.
-Many individuals prepared lunch, delivered water to volunteers, took pictures and collected garbage.
-City employee Eddie Binder, volunteered to drive the garbage truck, and County employee Durwood Ware, hauled items from site to site.
-Donna Cliett of the MSU Extension Services gave information on how to compost, and Karen Stanley from the BluBox Recycling Company answered recycling questions and made the community aware of free recycling in West Point.